Who are the Jews and What is Judaism?
Who are the Jews? Who are the Jews? The term “Jew” – Yehudi in Hebrew – can mean various things depending upon the context and the time period the term is used. Originally a Jew would have been a member…
Category Judaism 101
What is a Noahide? | Judaism 101
A Noahide (or Ben Noach) is a non-Jew who voluntarily takes on the Sheva Mitzvot (Seven Laws of Noah). These individuals are considered the Righteous of the Nations (Ger Toshav). Non-Jews are not required to convert to Judaism to be…
What is the Shulkhan Arukh? | Judaism 101
The Shulkhan Arukh, also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in Tzfat, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later. Together with…
What is the Mishneh Torah? | Judaism 101
The Mishneh Torah (“Repetition of the Torah”) is a code of Rabbinic halakhah (Jewish religious law) authored by Maimonides, one of history’s foremost rabbis. The Mishneh Torah was compiled between 1170 and 1180, while Maimonides was living in Egypt, and…
What is the Midrash? | Judaism 101
In Rabbinic Judaism, the Midrash is the body of homiletic stories told by Jewish rabbinic sages to explain passages in the Tanakh. Midrash is a method of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal, or moral…
What is the Talmud? | Judaism 101
The Talmud, which can be translated as “instruction” or “learning”, is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. It is also traditionally referred to as Shas, a Hebrew abbreviation of shisha sedarim, the “six orders”. The Talmud has two components. The…
What is the Tanach? | Judaism 101
Tanach The Tanach is the basis of understanding the laws, philosophy, and history of Judaism. As such, studying the Tanach is the first step to understanding the whole of Judaism. The Tanach is divided into three sections: Torah, Nevi’im, and…
Who are the Jews and what is Judaism? | Judaism 101
Who are the Jews? The term “Jew” – Yehudi in Hebrew – can mean various things depending upon the context and the time period the term is used. Originally a Jew would have been a member of the Tribe of…
Judaism 101: What is the Midrash?
In Rabbinic Judaism, the Midrash is the body of homiletic stories told by Jewish rabbinic sages to explain passages in the Tanakh. Midrash is a method of interpreting biblical stories that goes beyond simple distillation of religious, legal, or moral…
Judaism 101: What is the Shulkhan Arukh?
The Shulkhan Arukh, also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Rabbinic Judaism. It was authored in Tzfat, Ottoman Eyalet of Damascus, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years…